


Cross the Line

by KellyLiz



Category: Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-13
Updated: 2013-10-18
Packaged: 2017-12-29 07:39:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1002736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KellyLiz/pseuds/KellyLiz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>William takes Lizzie and Gigi to New York to visit Jane and Bing and for the U.S. Open Tennis Championships.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New York

William handed Gigi an envelope. “Happy Birthday, Gigi.” He smiled at her.

“My birthday is not for months!” Gigi protested. “Why are you giving it to me now?”

“It’s time sensitive,” he explained. “You’ll see when you open it.”

Gigi shot a quick look at Lizzie, who was smiling at her, and carefully opened the envelope. When she read the contents, her mouth dropped open. “Seriously? We’re going to the U.S. Open Tennis Championships for the weekend of the finals? This is incredible!” She ran to William and Lizzie and hugged them. “Thank you, William and Lizzie.”

“It’s from your brother,” Lizzie explained. “I can’t afford to go.”

Gigi frowned. “Lizzie, you have to come! You love tennis. It will be way more fun with you.”

William nodded. “I’ve been telling her that, Gigi. This was Lizzie’s idea, but she doesn’t want me to pay for her.”

Gigi’s face took on such a stubborn expression, it made Lizzie laugh. “It won’t cost that much!” Gigi argued. “We can stay with Jane and Bing. Don’t you want to visit your sister?”

Lizzie squirmed. “Of course I want to see Jane. But the plane tickets plus the Open tickets would still be very expensive.”

“William can use his frequent flyer miles for your plane ticket,” Gigi rationalized. 

“That just means you’re giving up a future trip for me,” Lizzie said.

“Oh, please!” Gigi said. “William has so many extra frequent flyer miles he doesn’t know what to do with them. As for the event tickets, it’s my birthday. I want you there! You wouldn’t deny me my birthday wish, would you?”

Lizzie looked at William. He had a smug look on his face as he allowed his sister to argue for him. Lizzie knew when she was beat and gave in gracefully, acknowledging how badly she wanted to go. “Okay, if it means that much to you Gigi, I would love it.” 

Gigi hugged Lizzie. “This will be so fun!”

 

William felt the change in the jet’s engines as they started their descent for New York. “I never get tired of watching the city from the air as we’re landing,” Gigi pushed her face close to the small window.

Lizzie leaned over from her seat to look out next to Gigi. “It’s beautiful,” she agreed. William ran his hand gently up her back to comb through her hair. Lizzie turned to smile at him and then leaned back in her seat again. She picked up his arm and brought it across her body to hold his hand on her leg.

Gigi turned away from the window to tell Lizzie her bet for the men’s singles champion. “Djokovic has been playing really well,” Gigi noted. “I want him as my top pick.”

“I want Nadal,” Lizzie said emphatically. William shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He knew that Lizzie meant as her pick to win, but he didn’t like hearing those words come out of her mouth about another man. Without looking at him, Lizzie ran her thumb over his knuckles.

“Are you sure?” Gigi asked. “He’s had injury issues with his knees on hard court surfaces. And he lost in the first round of Wimbledon.”

“He’s been playing stellar tennis on the hard court matches leading up to the Open and in the early rounds,” Lizzie said. “I think he feels he has something to prove because he lost so early at Wimbledon.”

“Who do you pick, William?” Gigi leaned forward across Lizzie to see her brother.

“Wawrinka,” William said. His perennial favorite, Federer, had already lost and he suspected Lizzie and Gigi’s picks would be in the finals. He would prefer to lose this bet. He looked forward to listening to Gigi and Lizzie trash talk each other’s choices.

Lizzie raised her eyebrows at Gigi. “So, are you ever going to tell us about Sidney?” It was nice letting someone else interrogate his sister.

Gigi’s lips lifted at the corner of her mouth. “I like him. He’s sweet, funny and intelligent. He really listens to me. He’s not at all hard on the eyes either.” William didn’t need to know that last part. 

Lizzie reached over and touched Gigi’s hand. “I’m happy for you.”

“We are taking it slow. I told him about my…last relationship and he gets it.” Gigi squeezed Lizzie’s hand. She met William’s understanding eyes and her smile widened.

 

After disembarking from the plane, they headed to the baggage claim. A whirl of color raced by William and threw herself at Lizzie. “You’re finally here!” Jane’s eyes were moist as she squeezed her sister. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Bing materialized several feet behind Jane. “She moves fast when she’s excited,” he grinned at William.

Lizzie and Jane were still wrapped in their embrace after William and Gigi had both hugged Bing. Jane finally pulled away from her sister and looked her over. “You look radiant. Darcy and San Francisco are agreeing with you.”

Lizzie’s eyes sparkled as she looked at William. “Yes,” she answered simply. She turned back to Jane. “Have you met Gigi—in person that is?”

Jane welcomed Gigi with her wide smile. “It’s so nice to finally meet you,” she said warmly. “I feel I already know you.”

Gigi nodded. “Lizzie’s videos certainly introduced us in a unique way. You did a killer impression of my brother.”

Jane blushed. “That was before I got to know him.” She shot William an embarrassed look.

“Unfortunately, it was all too accurate.” William reassured her.

 

“You live in Williamsburg!” Lizzie said with excitement a long drive later when Bing turned into the parking garage under his apartment building. “Jane, have you ever found the neighborhood where ‘A Tree Grows in Brooklyn’ was set?”

Jane shook her head. “We should walk around and look during your visit.”

“We thought we would eat dinner in tonight so we can catch up,” Bing opened the door to his apartment. “Being in New York, the place is a bit small.”

Lizzie walked into the living room and laughed. “It’s probably three times the size of my studio apartment in San Francisco. Then again, my entire apartment could fit in William’s bedroom.”

Jane showed Lizzie and Gigi around the apartment while Bing finished making dinner, chatting to William while he worked. “It’s actually spacious for New York,” Jane opened the door to a small study. “Lizzie, you and Darcy will be in here. That couch is a queen-sized hide-a-bed.” 

“Works for me,” Lizzie set her suitcase in the study. 

“Gigi, this is our guest room where you will be.” Jane opened another door to a small room with a double bed. A desk with a sewing machine was in the corner. Swaths of fabric and sewing materials were stacked neatly on shelves near the table.

“Guest room or Jane’s sewing room?” Lizzie asked innocently. “I thought you had your own place. Is there something you aren’t telling me?”

“No, I mean yes.” Jane sounded flustered. “I have my own place but it’s tiny and I have a roommate. There’s no space in my bedroom to sew. Bing insisted on setting this up for me here.”

Lizzie wasn’t about to press Jane on how much time she spent at her tiny apartment. Lately, Lizzie’s studio apartment remained empty night after night.

 

Over dinner, Lizzie and William argued about the merits of classic literature’s films adaptations. “I’ve never seen a literary classic made into a movie that was able to capture all the important aspects of the book,” William said.

“First of all,” Lizzie started. “There’s the issue of time. Most movies are far too short to capture all that is encapsulated in a work of literature.”

“True, which is part of my point. They have to pretty much eviscerate many novels just to fit the standard two or three hour movie.” William quirked an eyebrow at her.

“Second,” Lizzie continued, “the medium is different. Books can show inner monologues and thought processes in a way that film cannot. Books have a flexibility with time and space that allows them to take the reader many places that would be more difficult to follow in a film.”

“You’re making my arguments for me.” William looked smug.

“However, a movie can show emotions and use visual and audio techniques that a book cannot. The actors can say the lines in a way that tells the viewer more than just reading the lines from the book.” 

“That’s also a strength of books. Literature can be interpreted in many different ways by the reader. There are spaces left for the reader to fill. Films don’t leave the same types of gaps,” William said. 

“I agree there are substantial differences. Film, or other visual media, can reach some people in a way that books cannot, and vice versa.” Lizzie lectured. “It is purely subjective on your part to claim that books are superior as a means of telling a story or communicating thoughts and ideas.”

“I’m not saying they’re superior,” William began. “Just---“

“This reminds me of Netherfield,” Bing interrupted, leaning back putting his arm around the back of Jane’s chair.

“I always wondered what that was like,” Gigi smirked at her brother.

“With one major difference—At Netherfield, Lizzie didn’t have her hand groping Darcy’s leg under the table,” Jane grinned at her sister.

Lizzie snickered as the others laughed. “Jane—I can’t believe you outed me. New York has made you sassier.”

Bing touched Jane’s hair. “She’s still the same sweet Jane underneath.”

Lizzie noticed Jane’s eyes were drooping. “Let’s catch up later. You have to work tomorrow. I’ll clean up.”

“I’ll help Lizzie,” William began stacking dishes. “We can finish our discussion.”

“I’ll help too. I want to watch, er, hear this.” Gigi jumped up.

“Thanks, I am exhausted.” Jane stood up and walked over to give Lizzie a quick hug before exiting with Bing. “Good-night everyone,” Bing called back over his shoulder.

 

William drove Bing’s car to the exit of the parking garage. The disembodied voice from his GPS intoned “Turn left onto Broadway.”

Lizzie turned back to look at Gigi in the back seat. “Excited?”

“Yes!” Gigi almost squealed. “I’ve never been to a major tournament before. I can’t believe we’ll be able to see the greatest tennis players in person!”

“Turn right onto Rodney Street. Continue onto Meeker Avenue,” continued the GPS.

“William showed me where our seats are. We’re so close we’ll be able to count their beads of sweat,” Lizzie said.

“That’s an appealing image.” William looked as placid as usual, but Gigi knew he was happy that she and Lizzie were so pumped.

“Take the Interstate E/Brooklyn-Ons expressway ramp on the left to Queens Bronx. In .2 miles, merge onto I-278 E.”

William turned on to the freeway. He switched lanes, going over some bumps used for the lane dividers.

“Please don’t kill the turtles. They are an endangered species,” said the GPS.

Lizzie and William both froze and turned to look at the GPS. “Is this a special GPS program?” Lizzie asked. “I’ve never heard one comment on the lane dividers.”

Gigi leaned forward. “I used your GPS last week and it didn’t say that.”

“You are exceeding the speed limit,” the computer voice warned. “Take exit 35E to merge onto I-495 E toward Eastern Long Island.” 

William frowned. “It seems to be working normally otherwise.”

“How’s your business going, Lizzie?” Gigi asked.

“Fine,” Lizzie turned towards William and a look passed between them.

“Hey, I’m not your kid that you need to hide things from,” Gigi protested. “Is something wrong?”

“You’re right,” Lizzie sighed and turned to meet Gigi’s eyes. “We’ve been struggling a bit lately. I lost two clients this month. They liked our work, but they had to drop our services due to their own issues.”

“Well that happens sometimes. You’ll find other clients.” Gigi was surprised that Lizzie looked so sad.

“To make my budget, I had to let one of my employees go.” Lizzie said. “I think telling her was worse than if I had been laid off myself.”

Gigi reached between the front seats and patted Lizzie’s arm. “I’m sorry.” 

“I feel responsible. I should not have hired so many people when I was just starting out.”

“You only hired two people at first, Lizzie.” William reminded her. “You had to hire two more when you initially had more projects than the three of you could handle.”

Gigi nodded. “It’s really difficult for a small company in this field to accurately project how much business they will have.”

“I know,” Lizzie admitted. “Knowing what I did at the time, I wouldn’t have done anything differently. But I hated laying Jennifer off so much. I cut back on everything else first to try and save her position. There just wasn’t enough money.”

“Is she okay?” Gigi asked. 

“We worked together to find other job openings and she just had a couple of interviews.” Lizzie replied. “Hopefully one of those will pan out.”

“Is that why you’re extra worried about the money for this trip, Lizzie?” Gigi asked tentatively. “Did you cut your own salary?”

Lizzie looked guilty, and William’s head whipped towards her. “You didn’t tell me that,” he said, his voice low. Uh oh. Carefully take foot out of mouth, Gigi thought. 

“I was waiting for the right moment to tell you.” Lizzie said. “I didn’t cut too much. I still have enough to make my payment on my student loan for the month and to pay all my expenses. I just don’t have much discretionary income this month.”

“Lizzie…” William sounded upset.

“Don’t sound like that, William.” Lizzie’s voice matched his now. “I have some good leads on some prospective clients. It should be better soon. I just couldn’t bear to cut back on any of my remaining employee’s hours. All my other expenses are fixed costs.”

“You can always come to me,” William said tensely.

“Trust me, I know.” Lizzie touched his arm soothingly. “This is a short term problem. I promise I’ll come to you if it becomes a bigger issue.”

“I don’t like this,” William told her. 

“I can manage a month without Starbucks or new clothes,” Lizzie said, a forced buoyancy in her voice.

Gigi tried to help her lighten the mood. “Lizzie’s right, William. She has lots of cute clothes already.”

Lizzie smiled at him lovingly. “I’ll let you buy me an overpriced U.S. Open sweatshirt,” she told him.

“Fine,” William said. Gigi could tell her brother was not done with this discussion, but he let it drop with one more look at Lizzie. “If you promise me that you will talk to me first if your financial situation is not better next month.”

“Deal,” Lizzie smiled. She stage whispered to Gigi, “I’ve always wanted one of those sweatshirts.”

Gigi grinned. “I want some new tennis dresses. I’ll be watching the players for the cutest new designs.” She mouthed “Sorry” to Lizzie who nodded and shrugged lightly.

“You are still exceeding the speed limit, asshole.” The monotone voice of the GPS told him.

Gigi snickered. “Did it just call you an asshole?”

“Take exit 22A-West toward Interstate 678/Grand Central Parkway,” said the GPS. 

William frowned. “Exit 22A-West can’t be righ---“

“No, my bad. That should be exit 22A-East.” said the GPS.

“What the hell is going on?” William asked as he took the exit. Lizzie picked up the GPS and looked at it. 

“It looks fine. It has the correct map on it and everything,” she said.

“Keep left at the fork, follow signs for I-495/Long Island/Van Wyck Expressway,” said the GPS. “In .2 miles, veer right at the fork, follow signs for Grand Central Parkway/Triboro Bridge. Can you handle two directions at once, moron?”

Lizzie dissolved into giggles. “It has to be Fitz! He must have programmed this for you, William.”

“I should have listened to my mother and gone to college. Instead, I’m one of the minions forced to work for miscreants like you,” the GPS voice droned.

William nodded. “Yes, this totally smacks of a Fitz prank.”

“Take exit 9P toward Flushing Meadows Corona Park Tennis Center. That is, if you are capable of driving and reading signs at the same time.”

Gigi laughed, “Fitz did borrow the GPS from me a few days ago. He said he was going to meet Brandon at a new restaurant in Oakland and his phone batteries were dead.”

“Destination should be on the right if you can figure out how to make it the last 354 feet without a computer telling you directions.” The flat voice continued from the GPS. 

“Wow,” Lizzie said. “Fitz really must like you, William. He put a lot of effort into this.”

“I could have been somebody,” the monotone GPS voice went on. “I could--“ William reached over and switched it off.

 

William leaned back against the back of the couch. He had pulled out the fold-out sofa bed and there was only a few feet left of open space in the room. Lizzie was using every inch of it, pacing back and forth. One of his greatest pleasures was watching an adrenalized Lizzie and his lips lifted at the corners as his eyes swiveled back and forth following her movements.

“I mean, those serves Serena made,” Lizzie went on. ”Amazing! How does she hit that hard?” She kicked off her sandals as she walked.

William had enjoyed watching Lizzie watch the matches as much as the matches themselves. Gigi and Lizzie’s excitement fed off each other and they towed him around the tennis complex giddily, from game to game. The highlight had been the women’s single semi-final match of Williams vs. Li.

“Those shoulders,” Lizzie rhapsodized. “She puts most men’s shoulders to shame.” She turned to grin at him. “Present company excepted, of course.” Lizzie unbuttoned her blouse and pulled it off, tossing it in the general direction of her open suitcase.

“Of course,” William waited patiently. For the moment he ignored the need to bring up what could be a sensitive topic. He wanted to let her enjoy her post-game wrap-up, and quite frankly, he was enjoying the show.

“You’re going to lose your bet for the women’s champion,” Lizzie said confidently. “Why would you pick anyone but Serena?” She unzipped her skirt and stepped out of it. She was wearing the blue lingerie he had purchased for her recently and his eyes telegraphed his desire to help her out of them. 

“If I remember correctly, neither you nor Gigi would choose anyone else,” he pointed out. “I was forced to take Azarenka.” 

“True,” Lizzie grinned and threw her arms wide. “This is so much fun! I love the atmosphere. Who knew rich people could be so emotional and even catty at a sports event? Don’t they pride themselves on acting well-bred?”

“Not all of the fans there were rich,” William countered.

“In our prime section of perfect seats, they were.” Lizzie laughed. “All those hats! I felt I was around royalty.”

Lizzie suddenly stopped pacing and looked at him with a speculative gleam in her eyes. She crawled up from the bottom of the bed on her hands and knees, straddling him and stopped when her face was inches from his. “You’re looking particularly hot tonight,” she started huskily. Her hand, warm and sure, snaked under his shirt and started moving upwards.

William knew what was next and he had to stop her. If her hand went the other direction, he wouldn’t have a chance. “Lizzie,” he started, “I want to talk about what happened with your company’s finances this month.” From this angle, her low-cut bra was barely there and he swallowed thickly.

“Can’t we talk later?” Lizzie placed her lips on his neck. He felt his resolve draining away rapidly. She felt so good and he couldn’t stop his hands from cupping her hips. He used his last shred of control to keep them from moving.

“I’ll be able to, uh, concentrate much better if we get this out of the way first,” William spoke quickly before it was too late. The feel and smell of her was playing havoc with his senses and thinking logically was becoming very difficult.

Lizzie pulled back and met his eyes. They both knew one more move and he would capitulate, but she sighed and gave in, sitting back by his side with her legs curled underneath her. “It’s not as bad as it sounds. I was only over budget by a few hundred dollars and I used my own money to pay the internet and phone bills.”

“Lizzie, you know the first thing entrepreneurs are taught is to make sure you pay yourself a set salary as part of your regular expenses.” 

“I know,” Lizzie replied. 

“Why didn’t you come to me?” he asked, struggling to keep the worry from his voice.

“I want to keep my business separate from my personal life,” Lizzie explained. “If my company goes under, I’ll be okay. I mean, I’d be really upset but I know I can get another job. I’ve already learned so much in my first few months working.” She paused and put her hand on his chest. “I don’t want you to have to bolster up my business.”

“But you crossed that line when you used your personal income to pay for your business expenses,” he reminded her.

“Yes.” She met his eyes squarely. “I did cross the line. But it’s just this once, William. Without Jennifer’s salary, I’ll be within my budget for September even if we don’t sign another client. I would have turned to you if I needed money for personal reasons or if it had been a bigger deficit, I promise. You have a lot of experience and I know you could give me excellent advice.”

He searched her eyes. He knew that it was important for her to make her business succeed on its own merits without his help. It had to be enough for now. “Lizzie, I respect that it’s your company and your decisions in how you manage it. I want you to keep in mind that I am always there for you. It pains me to see you struggle.”

“I know how important it is for you to take care of me,” her eyes were intense with a deep glow. “It has to be serious if you’re willing to postpone the ride of your life to talk to me about it.”

The carefully banked heat inside him ignited instantly to a blaze. William’s eyebrows shot up. “The ride of my li—?“ Lizzie’s mouth interrupted him with a deep kiss. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her tight into his lap. Lizzie certainly knew how to end a discussion.


	2. Jealousy

Lizzie settled next to Jane on the couch. William and Bing were out getting coffee and muffins while Gigi showered. “So…..” she tilted her head to the side and looked at Jane, batting her eyelashes. “How is everything going with you and Bing-y?” Lizzie opened her eyes wide as she used to when playing Jane in Costume Theater.

Jane smiled at Lizzie’s expression, but her face quickly changed and she looked down, smoothing the fabric on her skirt. “Um, okay.”

Lizzie dropped her faux Jane look and put her hand on Jane’s arm, her eyes concerned. “What’s going on, Jane?”

“It’s just…” Jane struggled to find the right words. “We’ve been fighting about the stupidest stuff and I’m not even sure why.”

“Like what?” Lizzie asked.

“I’ve had to work tons of hours lately. It’s been really stressful,” Jane started. “Bing keeps asking me every day when we’ll have more time to be together. And he got so frustrated with me last week when I said I wasn’t ready to move in with him. He knew when we first moved here that I needed time before making that commitment. I don’t know why he’s suddenly so upset about it.”

“Do you think he feels insecure about your feelings for him?” 

Jane frowned. “Maybe? He did get angry the other day when I told him I had dinner with Chad. I didn’t understand why, Chad and I were working over dinner. It wasn’t anything like a date, we were just starving.”

“What did he say when you told him that?”

“He said I’m too nice and I don’t even notice when guys are hitting on me.” Jane’s eyes filled with tears. “He acts like I’m an idiot sometimes.”

“Jane,” Lizzie put her arm around her sister. “He doesn’t think you’re an idiot. Maybe he just thinks people try to take advantage of you.”

“I’m not going to become all paranoid and suspicious of everyone all the time,” Jane sniffed. “That’s just not me.”

“Of course not,” Lizzie soothed. She was quiet for a few minutes, thinking. “Jane, did you and Bing ever really talk through your so-called indiscretion at his birthday party?”

“Yes, I mean I thought so,” Jane said slowly. “I told him that Jay and I were just talking when he suddenly practically fell on me and started kissing me. I didn’t kiss him back and we stopped right away.”

“He was pretty drunk, wasn’t he? How did you make him stop?” Lizzie queried, her stomach sinking.

“I pushed him really hard,” Jane sounded less nice than usual.

“Did you tell Bing that?” Lizzie asked slowly.

“Not in those words,” Jane frowned, thinking. “I didn’t want him to get too mad at Jay, like Jay wouldn’t stop.”

“Did William see you shove Jay?” Lizzie knew the answer, but was trying to reconstruct the scene for Jane. 

“I don’t know. Caroline was next to Jay and Darcy was behind him.” Jane said. “Jay’s back must have blocked Darcy’s view of my hands now that I think about it.”

“So, even if Bing asked William more recently what happened, he really hadn’t seen enough. Caroline would have seen you push Jay away. Hasn’t Caroline visited you two here in New York?”

“Yes,” Jane nodded. “She apologized to us both when she was here. But we didn’t talk about the details of what happened that night. It is too painful.”

“Maybe Bing needs to understand how hard you pushed this guy off of you even knowing he was inebriated and was Bing’s good friend.” Lizzie spoke slowly. “Bing might not realize how well you took care of the situation and that you know how to take look out for yourself.”

“Maybe,” Jane frowned. “That can’t be the only reason he’s insecure about us though.”

“No,” Lizzie said. “It’s probably a combination of several things. He may need more reassurance how much he means to you and that your current heavy workload is temporary.”

“Does Darcy get upset about you not being ready to move in with him?” Jane asked.

“Not upset exactly, more like disappointed. But he understands,” Lizzie said. “He is careful not to bring it up too often and to respect my decision when I tell him I’m not ready.” 

“I wish Bing would give me more time,” Jane said quietly. “I still need to build trust with him. I know logically he won’t leave me again like before, but emotionally, I’m just not ready.”

Lizzie smiled gently at Jane. “Have you told him that?”

Jane shook her head. “I was afraid it would make him feel guiltier. He already feels so awful about leaving me without even asking me what happened.”

“He needs to know, Jane.” Lizzie said. She took Jane’s hand.

“Yes,” Jane agreed, looking downcast. “I’ll talk to him tonight.” 

 

Lizzie sighed and leaned against William, tucking her head into the crook of his neck as she finished summarizing her conversation with Jane. “So, Bing’s been jealous and now Jane is going to talk with him about it.”

William wrapped his arms closer around her. “It’s too bad they didn’t discuss this sooner.”

Lizzie nodded. “That would have helped.” She turned slightly so she could look up at him. “Have you ever been jealous because of me?”

“Lizzie, I was in such a rage when I saw you with Wickham at Carter’s last summer, I could barely function.” He said it evenly, but a memory rose from Netherfield of a glass splintering in his hand, wine dripping down his forearm and Bing’s concerned voice, “Darcy! Don’t you know your own strength?”

Lizzie twisted so she could put her arms around his neck and pressed up to him. “Oh, William! I’m so sorry. I didn’t think of Ge--- I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories for you.”

William kissed her forehead. “It’s fine to talk about now that I’m with you.” His fingers stroked the contours of her back. “I was also furious when we danced at Bing’s birthday party and you talked about waiting for George to come.” He still worried that his anguish over Lizzie seeing George had added impetus for his misguided advice to Bing to leave Jane.

“I was so stupid to believe his paltry excuse about why he didn’t show up,” Lizzie sounded bitter. “But it was the beginning of the end of my regard for him.” 

“I should have told you the truth about him then. I was so angry, I wasn’t thinking clearly,” William fitted Lizzie more closely to his body. 

Lizzie sighed. “You’re not the only one with regrets about telling others the truth about him.”

“You don’t know how happy it made me when I saw your video where you told Mary that you defended me to Wickham.” 

“Thanks to your letter, I finally saw him clearly.” Lizzie said. She rubbed her cheek against his chest.

“I was also jealous when you came to Pemberley,” he admitted. “There were several of my employees eyeing you up.” 

“You’re kidding!” Lizzie looked up at him, surprised. “I never noticed that.”

“I may have scared them off,” William said sheepishly, tucking his head down. “I glared pretty fiercely when I caught them. I’m sorry, Lizzie. I know I had no right at that time and it was a misuse of my position of authority. It was an automatic reaction and I—“

Lizzie giggled. “Finally, I find out about a flaw in your perfection as a boss!” She put her hand on the side of his face and kissed his downcast chin. “It is okay, William. I only had eyes for you at Pemberley anyway.”

“Really?” William’s eyes brightened. “I wish I had known that then.”

“I was jealous at Pemberley too,” Lizzie admitted. “Some of your female employees talked about how much they wanted to date you and made comments that, um, objectified your body. Which I did not condone,” she wagged her finger and grinned “though perhaps I make comments like that now.”

“I haven’t looked at another woman since I met you,” he said softly. Lizzie smiled and kissed him tenderly.

“I was also jealous when I went home to be with Lydia and didn’t hear from you,” Lizzie said, her voice low. “I was jealous of everyone you worked with, everyone you smiled at, everyone you passed in the streets, everyone who got to see you when I didn’t.”

“Oh Lizzie,” he cradled her tighter in his arms. “We had a rough start, didn’t we?”

“Yes,” she sighed and then spoke thoughtfully. “I think it helps us treasure what we have now even more.”

“I will always treasure you, Lizzie Bennet.” William kissed her deeply. 

When they broke apart, Lizzie raised a hand that trembled slightly to comb through his hair. “I love you,” she breathed. “But before this gets out of control, don’t we have more tennis matches to go to soon?”

“Yes and we both know how easily you make me lose control,” William smiled down at her. “Let’s get out of here before Gigi barges in.”

“Definitely a mood changer.” Lizzie leaped up from the hide-a-bed, her tennis fever back. “Men’s semi-finals—I’m rooting with you for Wawrinka in the first semi today, Will. It will be easier for Nadal to beat him in the final than Djokovic.”

“So you don’t think my pick has any chance to win the championship?” Will gave her a skeptical smirk. 

“Nope,” Lizzie grinned at him. "Your guy is going down."

 

Her words reverberated in Bing’s head and caused a mild panic. “What do we need to talk about?” 

Jane and Bing were alone as the others would not be back from their tennis matches until late. Jane patted the cushion on the sofa next to her and smiled reassuringly. “Sit with me, Bing.”

Bing sat as close to Jane as he could, needing the physical contact with her. He smiled back at her, hoping the dread inside did not make his smile feeble.

“I’m not sure you know exactly what happened between me and Jay at your birthday party last year,” Jane started.

“I only know what you, Caroline and Darcy told me.” Bing’s voice still carried a hint of pain.

“Bing, I felt I handled the situation really well.” Bing was surprised. Jane was the last person to toot her own horn. “Except perhaps I should have come and told you about it that night. I was planning to tell you the next day, I only waited because I didn’t want to spoil your party.”

Bing flinched at the unspoken rebuke. He had left the next day without giving her the chance. Jane continued gently, “When Jay started kissing me, I was shocked. It took me a minute to react.”

It hurt even now to think about. Bing swallowed and nodded for her to go on.

“When I realized what was happening, I stopped it. I shoved him away, Bing. He was drunk and heavy, really leaning his weight against me. But I forced him back so fast he barely realized what had happened.”

“Why didn’t Darcy tell me that?” Bing managed to sound fairly normal. 

“Darcy was behind Jay and couldn’t see how I pushed Jay. He probably thought Jay just pulled back.” Jane sighed. “I didn’t want to tell you all the details when you came to see me last winter because I was afraid you’d be even more upset with Jay when you realized how aggressive he was with me. He was your friend, and he was so drunk he obviously didn’t have good judgment.”

Bing looked down. This made him feel both better and shittier.

“You can ask Caroline if you don’t believe me.” Jane’s voice sounded hurt.

“No, I believe you.” Bing quickly met Jane’s eyes. “This just reminds me what a total jerk I was.”

Jane picked up his hand. “I’m only bringing this up again because I’ve felt lately you think I can easily be taken advantage of.” She looked at him with determined eyes. “And that’s not true. I know I tend to think the best of people at first, but if someone acts out of line with me, I stop them.”

“You’re telling me I should not be jealous about Chad.” Bing said simply.

“Yes,” Jane nodded. “There is nothing going on between us that isn’t work related. If he was stupid enough to try to make a pass, I would handle it. I know I’m nice, Bing, but I’m not a pushover.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” Bing put his arms around Jane. He held her tight for a few minutes until she pulled back. “There’s more?” he asked tentatively.

“Yes,” Jane wrung her hands. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I need more time before I’ll be ready to move in with you.”

“Okay.” He tried to keep his voice from sounding too downcast.

“Bing, I love you but it’s only been six months. I feel we still need time to build back the trust between us.”

Bing felt his stomach drop. He had secretly feared how much he had hurt Jane was still impacting their relationship, but he had hoped he was wrong.

“I’m sorry, Bing.” Jane’s voice was distressed. “I can’t tell you how long it will be but I’ll know when I’m ready.”

Bing took her hand and squeezed it. “Jane, I will wait for you as long as it takes.” He was lucky, she was still here. He would not mess this up.

Jane’s eyes teared up, and she gave him a relieved smile. “I’m sorry if I’ve been pressuring you,” he rubbed her back. “I love you so much, Jane.”

“I love you too.” She put her arms around him and pressed up against his chest.

“And I know you’re a strong person,” he said against her hair. “You’re a lot stronger than me.”

Jane laughed softly. “You should give yourself more credit.”

Bing stroked her hair. “I guess I just didn’t think everything through when I felt jealous of Chad. I trust you, Jane.”

“Do you want a reenactment?” Jane asked.

“What?” Bing started to look down at her when he found himself thrust back several inches away. She wasn’t kidding about the strength of her shove. He laughed. “Impressive!”

Jane grinned. “Remember not to mess with me, dude.”

“Never,” Bing said. “Can I hug you now?”

“Always,” Jane wrapped her arms around him.


	3. Surprise

Lizzie and Jane came to the intersection of Lorimer and Metro streets. It was early Sunday morning and the streets were fairly quiet. “Here’s where Francie’s house would have been and there is her view of the Williamsburg bridge to Manhattan.” Lizzie pointed to the river.

Jane spun around in a circle. “Her eventual escape route. But she always kept home in her heart. How many times did you read ‘A Tree Grows in Brooklyn’, Lizzie?”

Lizzie grinned. “At least five. Do you remember the summer when I read it to you and Lydia on the nights that we slept in our back yard in our sleeping bags? Lydia always wanted to hold the flashlight for me but would shine it in my eyes or drop it when she became too immersed in the story.”

“Once she dropped it on your face. I’m not sure who cried more, you or Lydia.” Jane laughed.” Just like Francie, we’ll always have those special memories of growing up together.”

Lizzie took Jane’s arm. “As much as I love my life now, I miss the three of us together, Jane.”

Jane nodded. “We take for granted what we have until it’s gone, don’t we?”

Lizzie pressed Jane’s arm. They walked on for a few minutes quietly. Jane broke the silence. “How’s Lydia really? We talk a lot on the phone but it’s not the same as being with her.”

“She stayed with me at my apartment a few weekends ago.” Lizzie said wryly. “She told me I needed to move in with Darceface already because I grabbed her ass when I was asleep. In my defense, my bed is only a double and it’s a little small for two people.”

“Is she happy? Seeing people?”

Lizzie shook her head. “I don’t think she’s ready to date yet. She’s making progress. She’s really excited now that she's going away to college and in her major this fall.”

“It’s probably best that she takes her time.”

“She told me this was the longest she had gone without getting laid since she was a teenager. She asked me for advice on how to get through an extensive dry spell,” Lizzie commented dryly.

Jane laughed. “Lydia has a special perspective.”

“After what she went through, I think she’s doing okay. But she’s still sad. Her eyes still look wounded at times when she’s not talking.” Lizzie sighed.

“Lizzie, what happened to her is not your fault,” Jane reminded her. “George did that to her.”

“Yes, but I may have been able to prevent it,” Lizzie said.

“If you insist on blaming yourself, I should take some blame also,” Jane pointed out. “I wasn’t even fighting with her and I couldn’t bother to spend 10 minutes a week watching her videos and seeing how George was manipulating her.”

“I knew about George,” Lizzie frowned at Jane. “You didn’t.”

“It wasn’t your story to tell. You had to keep Darcy’s confidence for Gigi.” Jane said. “By the time Gigi went public about George, Lydia was crazy about him. She would not have listened to you.”

“I could have told her something earlier without compromising Gigi.” Lizzie gritted her teeth.

“It would have been difficult to convince Lydia without any details or facts. Obviously, she was more vulnerable because the two of us had both moved away from home. Yes, we could have reached out to her and things might have turned out differently. But that’s life. We don’t get to know what’s coming. We just do the best that we can.” Jane stopped at a bench and pulled Lizzie down beside her.

“It’s hard to know you let someone you love down,” Lizzie looked at her hands.

“Yes,” Jane put her arm around Lizzie. “But you and Lydia have built a stronger relationship than ever now. You’ve learned from your mistakes with each other and you’ve moved on. There’s no point in beating yourself up about this anymore.”

“I’ve missed this with you, Jane.” Lizzie hugged her sister. "You always make me feel better."

“Me too. It's been so nice seeing you this weekend.”

“Which reminds me, how did your talk with Bing go?” Lizzie pulled back to see Jane’s face.

“As well as could be expected,” Jane said. “He was a little hurt, but he’s also relieved. I think he was scared because he felt I was pulling away from him and he overreacted. Now he knows I’m not. He understands I need time and he is willing to wait for me.”

“We’re really fortunate, aren’t we?” Lizzie said. “We have two amazing guys who love us to death, wonderful friends and each other.”

“Speak for yourself. I deserve all that and more.” Jane flipped her hair over her shoulder.

Lizzie laughed. “I can’t argue with that.”

 

Lizzie danced around William and Gigi laughing. “That [54-stroke rally!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIHsH69XKLE) Best rally EVER.”

“My pick won that point,” Gigi reminded her.

“Whatever. All the more impressive that _my pick_ won the championship.” Lizzie put her arms in a Rocky-like stance in the air, fists clenched. 

“She is going to have lots of extra energy tonight.” Gigi grinned at her brother suggestively. “You’re welcome.” 

Lizzie came around the other side of William and grabbed his arm. “I’m buying you that Nike t-shirt Nadal was wearing,” she said. “It’ll bring out the color of your eyes.” 

Lizzie quickly dropped his arm and ran around to Gigi. “Thank you for asking me to come here,” she hugged Gigi. “I’ll never forget this weekend.”

Gigi laughed and rolled her eyes at William over Lizzie’s shoulder. “Of course! It was so much fun with the three of us here together.”

Lizzie turned back to William and grabbed him around the waist. “And thank _you_ , my awesome boyfriend, for bringing me here.”

William shook his head in mock disbelief at her exuberance as she hugged him tightly. Lizzie’s excitement had reached a new level today. She clung to his arm during intense points, which, for Lizzie, seemed to be most of them. He was pretty sure he’d have bruises from her grip during the 54-stroke rally. She and Gigi created their own sign language they flashed at each other after every well-executed point. When he offered to switch seats so they could sit together, Gigi laughed and told him it was more fun this way. Inwardly relieved that Lizzie would continue to lean across him, he didn’t press. After Nadal had won the championship point, William felt he might have to hold Lizzie back from leaping on to the court to celebrate with Nadal. 

Lizzie’s high spirits were contagious and they laughed and talked over each other with friendly jibes. They had rehashed the top points of the final for the past hour as they made their way through the crowds and out of Forest Hills. 

As they approached Bing’s car, Lizzie stepped between William and Gigi and looped her arms through their arms. “So, losers,” she drawled, “what are you giving me for winning my bet?”

“How would you like me to take you for a full-body massage when I visit at the end of the month?” Gigi grinned. “After we play a good round of tennis, of course.”

“So you are going to pummel me first on the court?” Lizzie sighed dramatically. “I guess a good massage is worth an hour of humiliation trying to play you. Just remember your brother won’t be happy with you if you don’t return me in one piece.”

Gigi nodded in mock seriousness. “I think I can safely promise that.”

Lizzie raised her eyebrows at William. “And you?”

They reached the car and William turned to face Lizzie. “I’m giving Jane an airline ticket to visit you for a long weekend over Columbus Day next month.” Lizzie opened her mouth to speak and he stopped her, gently holding her arms. “This weekend reminded me how much you miss Jane. You didn’t have much time to spend together. Jane won’t let Bing pay for her ticket, but she’ll let me use some of my frequent flyer miles because I told her it was for you. She’s already checked her schedule and cleared her calendar. Lydia is available that weekend also. You are welcome to use our condo if you would like since your apartment is a little small for three people. Bing will fly out with Jane and he and I will make ourselves scarce by staying with Fitz and Brandon.”

Lizzie’s eyes widened and he went on. “Lizzie, Bing has told me how much Jane misses you and Lydia. She’s been really stressed and busy with her work the past several weeks and could use a weekend just to hang out and relax with her sisters.”

Lizzie stared at him, tears gathering in her eyes. She flung her arms around him and hung on tightly. “It’s pretty difficult to render me speechless,” she finally said. “You are truly amazing.”

William opened the car door for Lizzie and then shut it, turning to walk around the car. Gigi was standing by her car door, waiting for him. “I’m impressed how you worked that so Lizzie and Jane accepted a round-trip ticket because each was convinced it was mostly for the other.” She shook her head admiringly. “Well played, William.”

They got in the car. Lizzie was grinning at William. “Nice tactical move asking Jane first. The more I see you in action, the more I realize why you are such a good CEO. You have just enough Machiavellian characteristics to be a dangerous adversary.” Her eyes shone and she reached across to squeeze his hand.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he replied with a slight smile. 

“I can’t believe we are flying home tomorrow morning,” Lizzie lamented as she buckled her seat belt. “These past four days have gone by so fast.”

“When is your flight to Sanditon, Gigi?” William carefully backed out the car.

“Tomorrow night. I’ll have just a few hours in San Francisco before I need to leave.”

“Are you going to visit Aunt Catherine?” William asked, keeping his voice neutral.

“Do I have to?” William could hear the echo of a teenaged Gigi in that tone.

“No, but I think you should.” He really didn’t want his estrangement with his aunt to keep Gigi from her.

Gigi looked to Lizzie for support, but it was clear Lizzie was siding with her brother. “Fine. I’ll pay my respects. Just don’t expect me to be polite if she says something inappropriate.”

“Entirely your call,” William nodded.

 

Gigi knocked on the door. Aunt Catherine opened it quickly. “Georgiana!” she kissed Gigi’s cheek. “Please come in.”

Gigi followed her aunt into the living room. It was rare that her aunt was not at work on a weekday afternoon. Gigi suspected Catherine had made sure she would be home so Gigi would not have an excuse not to visit.

“How have you been, Aunt Catherine?” Gigi asked carefully. She was visiting under duress; she was very angry at how her aunt had treated Lizzie earlier in the summer. Since Lizzie and William wanted Gigi to keep her relationship with her aunt separate from their issues, here she was, dutifully polite but inwardly seething.

“Fine,” Catherine sniffed. Gigi could tell her aunt could feel the coolness in her manner. Good! Gigi thought, irate. “I’m glad you were able to visit me before you go back to Sanditon.”

“Yes, well I don’t have too much time. My flight leaves in a few hours.”

“How is your brother?” Catherine asked. Gigi softened slightly when she noticed a slight tremor in her aunt’s voice.

“He’s fantastic,” Gigi said. “Why don’t you call him and talk to him yourself?”

Catherine stared at Gigi icily. “You know why I am unable to do that at this time.”

“Because you disapprove of Lizzie? You know, he’s the happiest he’s ever been in his life because of her. Why won’t you accept her?” Gigi challenged. Her anger had returned full force.

“She may only be with him for wrong reasons,” Catherine retorted. “I have to watch out for my family.”

“Did you know Lizzie turned down a lucrative job offer at Pemberley for William?” Gigi asked. “Lizzie did not want to be perceived as using her relationship with him to give her any special benefits working at his company.”

Catherine looked flustered. “What?”

“It would have been much easier for her to work at Pemberley instead of starting her own business so soon after finishing grad school,” Gigi noted. Gigi knew her aunt thought Pemberley was one of the best companies on the planet to work. 

“I—I didn’t know that,” Catherine frowned, shaken.

“She’s not with William for his money,” Gigi said frankly. “I’m not sure why you would assume such a terrible thing without giving her a chance first.”

Her aunt looked down. “I know you must think I’m too judgmental, Georgiana. I’ve had some experiences with people who have tried to take advantage of members of this family for financial reasons.” Her voice was a little less firm than usual.

Gigi frowned. “Did anyone ever try to take advantage of you that way?”

Her aunt looked at Gigi, and the breath caught in Gigi’s throat. A vulnerability she had never seen in her aunt’s face was showing.

“You probably didn’t know, I was engaged once,” Catherine said. “I know that I can be difficult to approach.” Gigi wanted to snicker at that understatement but guarded her face from showing her amusement. “He was the first man I had ever let really get to know me. He didn’t have any money but I didn’t care.”

Gigi sat still, in shock as her aunt’s words sunk in. She had never heard, had never even imagined, her aunt had been in a serious relationship. She only had memories of her aunt exactly as she was now—independent, strong and prideful of all she had accomplished alone.

“My father was still alive then. He insisted Tom sign a prenuptial agreement. I argued with my father. It seemed so pointless to me. Obviously we loved each other and the money had nothing to do with it. But he was adamant. He said he would cut off my inheritance if I married without a prenup. I wasn’t young, I was in my early-thirties but I didn’t have very much money of my own yet.”

Gigi put her hand on her aunt’s arm as she faltered. “I told Tom. We laughed about it together. We didn’t need my father’s money, I said. All that was important was that we were together. A week later, he was gone with just a note left.”

“What did it say?” Gigi leaned forward, intent.

“He said he was sorry. That was all, just he was sorry. No explanation. I guess it wasn’t really necessary.” Aunt Catherine put her own hand over Gigi’s. “Your brother was around 10 years old. He was always such a sensitive boy. He came and sat with me. He listened to me talk on and on about Tom. He would ask me to take him places, like the Exploratorium. He helped me get out of the house, as did your mother. Your mother and William got me through those first awful months.”

Gigi’s respect for her brother went up to another level. “Why didn’t I ever hear about this?” she asked.

“You were just a toddler.” Aunt Catherine said tightly. “William most likely felt it was my story to tell. I just never found the right moment to bring it up to you. It’s rather embarrassing.”

Gigi stared unseeingly at a shaft of sunlight. A dust moat slowly floated down until it passed out of the ray’s light. 

Catherine was silent a moment. “I immersed myself in my work after that. Ironically, I became wealthy from my own efforts before my father passed away and left me my inheritance. From then on, I had a special bond with William.”

“But it made you suspicious of people,” Gigi frowned. It was more painful to Gigi that her aunt had closed herself off than that she had been deeply hurt by her fiancé.

“You had your own run-in with that, Gigi. I would have thought you would understand.” Catherine tried to sound firm, but it came out petulant.

“I don’t want to distrust everyone because of one bad relationship,” Gigi retorted. “Most people are not like George. I won’t let him ruin my life by shutting myself off that way.”

Catherine’s mouth opened, and then closed without a word. She looked astonished. Finally, she spoke. “I’m not sure if you’re brave or stupid.”

Gigi was not offended. She was used to much worse from her aunt. “Sometimes both. But in this case, I’m become a stronger person since George. I’m enjoying being in a relationship again.”

Her aunt looked at her with what passed for a smile on her face. Gigi put her arm around her. “I know you miss William. I think you should call him. Lizzie really loves him,” she spoke gently. 

Her aunt didn’t reply. Her face set into its usual cool expression. “Tell me more about Sanditon before you have to leave,” she insisted and Gigi complied. 

 

William doubted he would ever literally run through Pemberley’s halls, but he strode as quickly as possible towards his office. He had one final meeting before his weekend officially began, he was a few minutes late and he detested being late. 

Reynolds looked up as he speed-walked past. “Darcy, Bob took Doug Fieman on a tour of the building since you were a little behind schedule. He just texted me” she looked down at her cell phone “that they are now on the rooftop and will wait for you there.”

“Thank you,” William did an about face and headed towards the stairwell, ignoring his growling stomach. He had come in early this morning for a meeting via Domino with his executive team and some of their clients in Boston. Back to back meetings had forced him to wolf down half of a sandwich for lunch which had satisfied his appetite for barely an hour after having such an early morning breakfast.

The stairs were usually quicker than the elevator and he started climbing two steps at a time. He was anxious for this meeting to be finished so he could start his weekend with Lizzie. It had been a busy week catching up after missing a few workdays for their U.S. Open trip and they hadn’t been able to spend as much time together as usual.

William opened the door to the rooftop. It was a beautiful day and the sun’s reflection on the pool made him squint momentarily. He noticed a small table set with a snowy white tablecloth and a small vase of flowers in the center close to the pool. No one was visible and he stepped forward, his head swiveling as he looked for Doug Fieman and Bob.

“Hey there, handsome,” he heard Lizzie’s voice from his left.

“Lizzie!” He turned and she engulfed him in a long hug. “Where’s—“

“Doug Fieman canceled his meeting with you yesterday.” Lizzie still held him tight. “I happened to be waiting for you to go to lunch when Reynolds got the call. I persuaded her to keep it on your calendar so I could surprise you.”

William drew back and smiled at her. “I like surprises involving seeing more of you.”

“I stopped at Lers Ros Thai and picked up dinner for us.” Lizzie gestured towards the table. “I know how early you came in to work, and when I called at lunch, Reynolds told me you only had time to eat part of a sandwich.”

Lizzie grabbed his hand and brought him to the table. “I’ll be right back,” Lizzie went into the facility hall. His phone rang and William picked it up when he saw the caller’s name.

Lizzie returned with two salads and a plate of vegetarian fried spring rolls just as William hung up the phone. “Who was that?” Lizzie asked curiously. William was looking down at his phone, bemused.

“My Aunt Catherine,” he replied. “She expressed her regret for her behavior towards you and asked us to come to dinner next Friday. She wants to apologize to you in person.”

“What brought that on?” Lizzie handed him his salad and sat next to him.

William shook his head. “I have no idea.”

“Did Gigi say anything about her visit with your aunt on Tuesday?” Lizzie asked, digging into her salad.

“No, I haven’t talked to her since then.” William bit into a spring roll hungrily. “She just texted me when she arrived in Sanditon safely.”

“Your sister can work magic when she puts her mind to it. She has a lot in common with you. We’ll have to thank Gigi later.” Lizzie didn’t say any more about his aunt, but he noticed her eyes were bright with relief.

After finishing their salads and spring rolls, Lizzie brought out tilapia and fried rice. She entertained him with a reenactment of her morning spent working with a young teen actress whose glib attitude belied her talent. “It was like Lydia at age 13 but with Caroline’s confidence. A really scary combination.”

“Maybe you should have Lydia there to work with her at your next rehearsal.” 

Lizzie paused and then her face lit up with a contemplative smile. “That’s a really good idea. I think she would like Lydia’s sassiness.”

Lizzie was a light eater and normally finished a few minutes before William, but he was so hungry he finished his larger portion the same time as she did. She raised her eyebrows at him, “Wow. You don’t normally inhale your food.” 

He leaned back feeling satiated and sleepy. “That was incredible.”

“You just relax for a few minutes,” Lizzie kissed him on the forehead “while I clean up.” She cleared their plates and took them into the hall. He let the sun’s warmth drain the remaining tension from his body as he heard her washing the dishes. She returned carrying a small U.S. Open gym bag and handed it to him.

“What’s this?” William asked.

“There’s another part to the surprise,” Lizzie leaned forward and grinned at him. “Open it.”

Inside was a new Nike tennis shirt identical to the one Nadal had worn at the U.S. Open, one of his favorite pairs of jeans, athletic socks, tennis shoes, his glasses and his contact case. William’s brow furrowed. “You brought me a change of clothes because----?”

“We are going away for the weekend and I thought you might like to change into more comfortable clothes for the drive.” Lizzie beamed at him. 

“What? Where?” William started.

“Do you remember Bill, Fitz’s neighbor? We met him and his wife at Fitz’s barbeque a few weeks ago. He called me this week and asked if I could arrange for his daughter to meet Troy Walsh, the lead actor on my new teen series. In return, he is letting us use his timeshare in Carmel for the weekend. It’s right on the ocean with its own private deck.”

William stared at her. He was tired and his brain was having a hard time keeping up. “We’re going now?”

“Yes. I packed clothes for you, your tablet so you have plenty to read and our tennis racquets. I bought groceries and have a cooler packed. I’ve already moved everything into your car since it is roomier than mine.”

William was stunned. A surge of excitement flooded through him. “You arranged all this?”

“Yup. The condo has tennis courts and a pool. We can take long walks on the beach, swim, rent bikes for a bike ride, anything you want. This weekend is for you, William.”

“Anything?” William looked at her with an unmistakable heat in his eyes.

“Anything.” Lizzie returned his intense stare, a small smile lifting her lips. He had thought his spirits could not go any higher than the immediate prospect of a weekend away alone with Lizzie. He had been wrong.

William got up and pulled Lizzie to her feet and into his arms. “Thank you, Lizzie. This is the perfect gift; just what I wanted without even realizing it,” he said huskily against her hair.

 

After trading his dry contacts for glasses and changing into casual clothes, William waited for Lizzie near the elevator. She came out from the women’s changing room and walked toward him. The late afternoon sun slanted behind her, lighting up the edges of her hair in a halo effect and revealing the outline of her body through her light sundress. Intense love and desire spiraled through him so quickly, he felt staggered. Lizzie smiled as she reached him but before she could speak, William pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately, one arm wrapped around her slim waist and the other hand fisted in her hair. He felt Lizzie’s knees weaken as she let her body go slack against him. He had just deepened the kiss, and lifted Lizzie a few inches off the ground when they heard the bing sound warning of the elevator arriving. They broke apart and Lizzie took a small step back, stumbling a little as her legs were forced to support her own weight again. William grabbed her arm to steady her just as the elevator doors opened and Matt, the nighttime janitor, stepped out pushing his cleaning cart.

“Good evening, Mr. Darcy, Miss Bennet.” Matt had worked at Pemberley for years and refused to drop the ”Mr.” when addressing William.

“Good evening, Matt.” William tucked Lizzie’s arm through his own. “How are you?”

“Well, Mr. Darcy, thank you.” Matt nodded at them. “Ms. Reynolds told me there was some clean-up needed from a private dinner here.”

“I took care of it,” Lizzie smiled at him. “Thank you.”

“I’ll just go finish my regular duties then,” Matt said.

“We’ll be out of your way right away. Have a nice weekend.” William said. Matt was too professional to comment on Lizzie’s mussed hair or her dress bunched awkwardly too high at the waistline.

“You too,” Matt waved as he pushed his cart towards the pool area.

William carefully smoothed Lizzie’s hair and straightened her dress. She smilingly wiped some lipstick from the corner of his mouth. He picked up his new gym bag and Lizzie’s dropped tote bag that held her work clothes. “Ready?” he asked her.

“More than ready if that was a foreshadowing of this weekend.” Lizzie met his eyes with an intensity that mirrored his own.

“That was merely a taste to whet your appetite.” He spoke quietly into her ear as he propelled her gently towards the elevator.

“Mission accomplished.” Lizzie grinned.


End file.
